Chopped Champions: Part 2
Vying for one of three remaining spots in the Chopped Champions $50,000 grand finale, four returning chefs open the first basket to find a seafood delicacy and a traditional holiday food/gift. In the second round, a slip of the knife threatens to slow one champion down, as the chefs put together entrees using candy apples ... and squab. Then, with just two chefs left fighting in the dessert round, patience might be the most important ingredient, as one competitor seems overly eager to take his baked concoction out of the oven. Contestants *Rachel Willen, Chef and Culinary Instructor, Foodfix, Clinton, NJ, Chopping in a Winter Wonderland *Walter D'Rozario, Chef de cuisine, Junoon, New York, NY, The Big Scoop *Fatima Ali, Sous chef, Café Centro, New York, NY, A Guts Reaction *Vinson Petrillo, Executive Sous chef, Caviar Russe, New York, NY, Yakety Yak, Yak, Yak Judges *Aarón Sánchez *Amanda Freitag *Scott Conant Meal Appetizer Ingredients: Fruitcake, Shad Roe, Vodka, Tokyo Scallions Rachel's appetizer is Pan-Seared Shad Roe Sack with Chive "Dutch Baby". Rachel cooks her shad roe perfectly, and all of the ingredients work together well. The scallions are burnt, and the Dutch Baby is dense and gummy. Walter made Pan-Seared Shad Roe on Fruitcake with Mushroom & Cream Sauce. His presentation is striking and the shad roe is cooked perfectly. The flavors are great and the mushrooms go well with the roe. The fruitcake doesn't really work with the dish. Fatima made Fruitcake Crusted Shad Roe with Scallion & Vodka Cream Sauce. The shad roe is cooked very well and the infusion with the fruitcake was smart. The flavors in her dish are great. The sauce is a little bracing at first, and Fatima's presentation doesn't do her flavors justice. Vinson made Pan-Fried Shad Roe w/ Fruitcake Sauce and Sesame Seed, Coconut, & Vodka Porridge. The judges love his porridge, which unifies the components of his dish and makes them work together. His presentation is just dull and brown. This time around, Chef Rachel was chopped first, resulting from her overcharred scallions and the Dutch Baby not working. Entrée Ingredients: Squab, Peanut butter and Jelly, Red Quinoa, Karela Walter prepared Roasted Squab with Quinoa Pilaf & a vannila garnish ''' Walter has the best quinoa of the round, and the garnish is the best part. His squab is cooked perfectly but underseasoned, and his choice of a bowl as a vessel makes the squab difficult to eat especially because he left the ribs inside. Fatima's entrée is apple slaw and Roasted Squab with Braised Karela.' The judges love her karela, which is the best of the round. Having cut her finger badly, Fatima made a series of mistakes, such as her quinoa being very undercooked and her squab breast overcooked. Vinson made '''Herb Basted Squab with Toasted Quinoa and Pickled Karela.' Vinson makes the best cooked and best butchered squab of the round, which is delicious with the sauce. He doesn't have enough sauce, his quinoa is underdone, and the karela needed more time. Unfortunately for Chef Fatima, the cut proved to be her undoing by causing her to undercook the quinoa and overcook the squab. Dessert Ingredients: Mitmita, Sauternes, Cream-Filled Snack Cakes, Cottage Cheese Vinson made Mitmita & Cottage Cheese Dumpling with No-Bake Brownie and Fruit Compote. The judges love his dumplings, and the dish is well-balanced color and texture-wise. The compote and brownie are cloyingly sweet. Walter created Warm Cottage Cheese Pudding with Chocolate Brandy Sauce and Raspberry Mitmita Coulis. The raspberry sauce and chocolate sauce are delicious, and the texture of the cottage cheese in the pudding is great. The judges don't like the snack cakes cut up as garnish, and Scott's pudding is undercooked. Looking at both chefs full meals, the judges chop Chef Walter for glaring errors throughout his meal. Vinson is made Chopped Champion for a second time and advances to the Grand Finale. Gallery CCPart 2 Chefs.png|The chefs for the episode. From left to right: Vinson, Fatima, Walter, and Rachel Rachel's Shad and Dutch Baby.png|Rachel's Appetizer Walter's Shad Row on Fruitcake.png|Walter's Appetizer Fatima's Shad and Vodka Cream Sauce.png|Fatima's Appetizer Vinson's Shad with Fruitcake Sauce.png|Vinson's Appetizer Walter's Bony Roasted Squab.png|Walter's Entrée Fatima's Squab & Braised Karela.png|Fatima's Entrée Vinson's Basted Squab.png|Vinson's Entrée Vinson's Dumpling, Brownie, and Compote.png|Vinson's Dessert Walter's Cottage Cheese Pudding.png|Walter's Dessert Notes * Category:Episodes Category:Season 14 Category:Tokyo Scallions Category:Squab Category:Karela Category:Quinoa Category:Cottage Cheese Category:Scallions Category:Vodka